


reaching for the skies!

by astronomii



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: "Friendly" Rivalry, Bad Jokes, Canon Compliant, Childhood Friends, Crushes, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Humor, Multi, Platonic Relationships, Reader-Insert, Slow Burn, Volleyball Dorks in Love, reader is cute and honestly everyone is for it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-16
Updated: 2019-07-21
Packaged: 2019-10-11 01:33:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,074
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17437361
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/astronomii/pseuds/astronomii
Summary: In which you're Karasuno-bound, your ginger-haired friend can practically fly, and your salty blueberry son still has anger issues.Between taking frequent but well needed naps, dodging responsibilities, and playing volleyball as a hobby—though no one really believes you when you say it's just a hobby—you have the opportunity to play volleyball in a certified "professional" club.And what do you do with this opportunity? You take it.





	1. Chapter 1

It wasn't unusual for Kageyama to wake up early. In fact, living next to you meant that it was an absolute must to be awake and alert even at ungodly hours. He was expecting you, but he just wasn't expecting you to be tapping at his window at five in the freaking morning. You were rather chipper and _awake_ , something he wished he could say for himself, despite the fact that you looked like you had just been tased or had at least gotten into a fight with your toaster. 

"Morning, Tobio!" you chirped as soon as he managed to pull open the curtains and unlock the window. A glare washed upon his visage, but he realized he couldn't be mad at you for too long. It was better that you woke him up early instead of his mom coming in and yanking off the blankets. Still, he was not amused. Waking him up at six, he could understand. But five? He has every right to be the slightest bit upset. 

"What are you doing?" he greeted back sourly. "It's five."

"It's actually five-o-seven, but alright," you grinned before suddenly jumping up and down like a kangaroo. "It's the day of our graduation, aren't you the slightest bit excited?"

"I was," Kageyama paused, glare intensifying tenfold, "until _someone_ decided to wake me up."

"Well, that someone must be really special if you aren't yelling angrily at the top of your lungs. But think about it, Tobio! We're gonna be junior high schoolers! Isn't that exciting? New school, new people, and new friends; all three in one, it's truly a one of a kind deal. You're gonna celebrate your last day of being a primary school student. _And_ you're soon going to finally play volleyball in an actual team, don't you think that's worth getting up early for?"

"I suppose it is," he grumbled, reluctantly relenting to your relentless tirade of positivity. 

"Oh! I wanted to show you my kimono, so you can match with me for the summer festival. C'mon, my room window's open still."

You tugged Kageyama by the arm, and he had no other choice but to follow you by climbing out his window. Luckily, he was small enough and still fit through the frame. You stood proudly with your hands by your hips before you gasped in shock. 

"Tobio, I think you got a little taller!"

"What? Really?"

Kageyama wasn't self-conscious about his height. Never. It's just awkward that he had some ways to go before he was finally taller than you. You had been taller than him for all the years he could remember, which was up to his current age, twelve. He's just been relying on the myth that milk helps you grow taller and praying that he can catch up. The amount of things he had to rely on you for because of your height advantage was embarrassing enough to be used as some sort of leverage over him. Luckily you were nice enough to spare him, for now. 

"Wait, nah. Sorry, just a trick of the light," you dismissively waved your hand as a sheepish expression overcame your features. 

"I'm going back to my room."

Mood completely killed, Kageyama turned around and started heading back. Well, he tried to, until you decided to play dirty and pull one of your many tactics. Bribery. 

"Hmm, that's a shame. My mom made pork curry last night, and I was just thinking of reheating some for breakfast."

Kageyama felt as if his frown was just going to carve itself permanently into his face. " _Fine_. I'll stay."

"Great!"

He felt his anger dissipate slightly when you shot him a smile almost as bright as the morning sun. For now, he'll forgive you. After all, you were a free meal ticket and you were his best, and arguably only, friend at Akiyama Elementary. You asked him about this on multiple occasions, but he always told you friends were overrated and that he'd rather be playing volleyball. You knew he was lying, however. There was an almost innocent look to his entire demeanor every time a volleyball was in his hand, and he would constantly pester you to attempt some sets he saw on television the night before. 

You briefly considered playing volleyball before, but you were never really serious about it. Kageyama, completely contrary to yourself, was dead set on playing volleyball. He showed you every single plan he had about being the starting setter; he even told you which junior high school he planned to go to long before you had even thought about junior high. He wanted to go to Kitagawa Daiichi, and you supposed, because he wanted to go there, you would be going there too. 

Briefly, you glanced over your shoulder at the grumpy boy you were tugging behind you. Somehow, you wondered if anything was going to change for your futures. Now that junior high was well becoming a reality rather than a silly fantasy the two of you shared occasionally, you wondered if things would stay the same. It was a childish thought, really, but you couldn't help but feel a little bit worried. 

"Hey, Tobio?" you wondered, stopping just outside the window to your room. "Do you think we'll still be friends in junior high?"

"Of course we are," he seemed offended you would think otherwise. "Why are you asking such a dumb question?"

"Just wondering. I might join the girl's volleyball team if you're gonna join the boy's."

"That's good. You'd make a good middle blocker. You're... tall."

"Glad you think highly of me, Tobio," you beamed. Your expression turned thoughtful before your lips quirked up as you teased, "I'm just worried I won't be able to constantly keep an eye on you. You tend to make rash decisions when I'm not around."

"You're not my mom," Kageyama grumbled, directing his withering gaze to a particularly green patch of grass by his feet. 

"But I am your best friend, and that's almost as important."

Kageyama didn't say anything after that, and you just figured he was also experiencing his dose of early onset mid-life crisis. Turning your attention to your room window, you nudged open your unlocked window with an elbow before hauling yourself over the frame and tumbling into the floor of your room. He climbed in soon after you did and landed a lot more gracefully than you had. 

"Showoff," you mumbled. Kageyama stuck out his tongue at you in response. 

A sudden genius idea came to you in a flash, and you quickly rummaged in your drawers for something you had stolen from your mom a while ago. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity for you, and you wanted to make sure Kageyama was the first person to see, no matter how silly it seemed. You removed the small lipstick tube with such flourish, Kageyama backed up a couple steps to avoid getting smacked in the face. 

"Behold! In my hand, I hold the treasures of mankind," you brandished the lipstick like a sword, while Kageyama could only look at you with an expression you deciphered as a combination between curiosity and annoyance. 

"What even is that?"

"It's lipstick. Before I show you my kimono, I'm going to attempt to put on some lipstick that I stole from my mom. You're gonna be the first to see me with makeup, and it's an opportunity I didn't want you to miss out on."

You turned your back to him before slathering a hefty amount of red lipstick on your mouth. You didn't even bother looking to see if you had fully covered your lips or not before turning around again and striking a silly pose that almost garnered a laugh from the always moody Kageyama. A smile grew on your face at your small achievement. Kageyama didn't realize it yet, but you really appreciated his smiles. He looked nicer, less angry. 

"So, how do I look?" 

"You look like a clown."

Kageyama really needed to stop being so honest. 

"I do not," you pretended to gasp as if you were offended, before catching a glimpse of your reflection in the mirror and bursting out into a fit of giggles. "Okay, maybe I do. Just a little bit, though."

Unbeknownst to you, while you were laughing so hard tears gathered at the corners of your eyes, Kageyama managed a small smile and a chuckle at your expense before his expression dropped back to neutral. After you finished your laughing fit, you stared long and hard into the mirror as you nitpicked at your self-dubbed high quality makeover. 

"I look bad," you deadpanned. "But that's besides the point! I can show you my kimono now."

In a rush, you dashed towards your closet and pulled out a two-piece set your mom had bought specifically for the occasion. The first piece was a brilliant red kimono with gold-threaded koi fish on the sleeves; the second piece was a navy blue hakama with it's own bow sash. You smiled fondly as you set the articles of clothing on your bed. 

"My mom got mad when I picked out my outfit," you admitted, laughing a bit at the end. "She preferred if I had gotten something a little less flashy, but I tried to chose colors you wouldn't find difficult to match. This year, we're finally going to see the fireworks together at the Sendai Tanabata Festival."

"I-I like it," Kageyama muttered, his cheeks flushing a shade of red rivaling the kimono. 

"Thanks, Tobio. Well, now that you've seen my outfit, I guess you can surprise me with yours when summer comes around. _Anyways_ , to celebrate this special day, you wanna try out some tosses in the backyard before we're junior high schoolers?"

Kageyama immediately picked up the beaten volleyball in the corner of your room with renewed vigor as he rapidly shook his head in agreement. Standing up, you quickly exited out of the window you had entered in and prepared to receive Kageyama's sets. In the light and carefree atmosphere, you completely forgot about the lipstick catastrophe on your face, and Kageyama forgot about the curry as you practiced tosses and sets until your parents woke up. 

Once everyone was fully awake, your parents and Kageyama's parents immediately began ushering you guys to get ready. With a skip in your step, you practically threw on your uniform before speeding out the door to wait for Kageyama. Your grey blazer kept you warm in the crisp breeze, but you still kept nervously shuffling around in an attempt to keep warm while you waited. Kageyama sure took his sweet time. He finally emerged from his house looking slightly disgruntled as he tried to fix the collar of his shirt. Not giving him any time to process the situation, you grabbed his hand and began dashing towards the school. You prioritized getting to school early over appearances, and you only realized during the photo your parents had taken that Kageyama's tie was crooked and some of your hair had been sticking up the whole time. 

While you were hasty in your arrival on campus, the actual ceremony wasn't until much later. You were a mess of emotions, and you could not stop fidgeting the entire time. Kageyama often got annoyed at you and elbowed you in the side to get you to calm down. The national anthem was sung, and you finally followed your fellow graduates up on stage to receive your graduation certificates. The rest of the ceremony passed in a blur as you focused on the tight scroll of paper in your hands. You guys done it; you were finally ready for junior high. 

Once the final words of the school song was sung, everyone began filing out of the auditorium. 

"Spring break, and then Kitagawa Daiichi here we come!" you exclaimed. "Are you ready, Tobio?"

He nodded in conformation, and that said more than words ever could. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> most of my chapters are unedited, but i hope you enjoy(ed)!!


	2. Chapter 2

"Kitagawa Daiichi is amazing!" you exclaimed to the top of your lungs as soon as you passed the school gates. 

A few students around you shot you a few concerned glances before walking to their respective classes. You grabbed Kageyama's hand in yours, so he wouldn't get lost, before starting to walk to your class together. 

"Keep it down," Kageyama huffed before shaking off your hand walking on ahead. 

"Wait! Tobio, don't leave me!"

"I wasn't, dummy." 

You finally caught up by his side and glanced at him curiously. He was clearly pouting, with his face slightly turned to the side to avoid your prying eyes. He really was too cute; the way his cheeks puffed out in irritation was a thing you tended to see daily, but it never got old. Come to think about it, Kageyama was always seen either mad or neutral. A smile on the boy's face was very rare, which was why you were one of the few people who got the privilege to see it. Then again, the only time he ever smiled was when he played volleyball, so that couldn't really be accounted for as your achievement. But hey, you were still trying. 

"Tobio, you still have a babyface," you teased with a grin. 

"S-Shut up!" He stomped his foot in embarrassment and you chuckled at his childishness. 

"Oh! That reminds me. We have the same class again this year, right?"

"If you paid attention to what I was saying earlier, I already told you no."

"Eh? We're not?! Who's gonna let you copy their homework now, Tobio?! You're in trouble!"

"I'm not stupid, idiot! I can handle it," he grumbled, before quietly adding, "I think."

"Don't say 'I think' after your sentence if you're actually confident, idiot!" you shouted in panic. "Anyways, I spent the entire night memorizing the route to your classroom, but if I'm not in your class then I'm in big trouble. I'll be going going first, Tobio! I need to find my class. See you during lunch!"

"Bye, Ikeda."

You gave him a nod before dashing into the school.

The layout was a lot bigger than the map you had glanced over last night, and soon you found yourself utterly lost. A few students walked by, and you were able to ask them for some directions before you found yourself simply lost in another section of the school. There was too many corridors, too many stairs, and too many corners for you to keep track of.

You hoped Kageyama made it to class on time at least. If you were having a hard time getting to your class on your own, then Kageyama must be struggling just as much. The students here were taller than you were, and you found that getting lost was just as easy as papers disappearing in your own backpack. Dizzy and disoriented, you prepared yourself for another lap around the school when you walked face-first into someone's chest. 

"My bad," a cheery voice chirped. "Are you alright?"

You looked up and saw what you had quite possibly thought was the prettiest boy you have ever seen in your life. He had soft chocolate curls that seemingly fell flawlessly around his face and warm, albeit slightly mischievous, coffee brown eyes. As much as you wanted to monologue about him in your mind, you felt your own descriptions of him fell short of the actual thing. Your conclusion was that this boy was too perfect to be human.

The more rational side of you wanted to ask him for directions, or even a possible escort to class, but your irrational side was itching at you to yell at him for being too pretty. If you were a normal girl, you might just have done both for the heck of it. Luckily for you, your life had rarely any time for boys. Four things were on your mind at the moment: passing junior high, making sure Kageyama doesn't hurt himself too much, food, and volleyball.

Well, that was until you noticed another aspect of him. He was tall, amazingly so. You barely reached his nose in height; therefore, Kageyama was good head shorter, which was a feat in and of itself. Your respect skyrocketed in the span of a second. 

"Woah! You're really tall," you beamed, your eyes practically sparkling. "What class are you in?"

"I'm a third year, Oikawa Tooru," he introduced himself with yet another smile. You briefly wondered if he ever got tired smiling all the time. 

"That's neat! I'm a first year myself. My name's Ikeda, Ikeda (Y/n)."

"It's nice to meet you, (Y/n)."

You jolted upright at the sudden use of your first name. It was like being doused in ice water; it was uncomfortable.

Laughing nervously, you trained your gaze to the floor to think of something else to say in return. Even Kageyama never used your first name, but Oikawa was just jumping the gun right from the start. Your staring at the ground led to you noticing the certain kind of shoes he wore. Before you got the chance to ask, someone else interrupted. 

"Oi, dumbass. Class is starting, why aren't you heading there yet?"

Another male showed up with his bag slung over his shoulder. An irritated expression was fixated on his face, and you also laughed at the similarities he shared with Kageyama. He was also tall, just a little shorter than Oikawa, with black spiky hair and sharp brown eyes. He seemingly contrasted Oikawa's carefree atmosphere with a harsh seriousness. These two were definitely like oil and water, perfectly contrasting one another; however, you supposed they were friends because of the familiarity shared between them. 

"Iwa, I was just getting to know one of the cute underclassmen. You should do the same, then maybe everyone will start to like your terrifying face."

"Do you want to die?"

"Wah, (Y/n) save me! Iwa's being scary again!"

The said 'Iwa' turned around to face you. "You. Do you need something? This dumbass wasn't bothering you, was he?"

Well, he was blunt and certainly to the point. That was something you were grateful for. 

"Actually, I was trying to find my class. This is only my second time on campus, so I tried asking around for directions. Alas, I still got lost," you said with a sheepish look on your face as you rubbed the back of your neck. "Then I bumped into Oikawa by accident when I was going to make another trip around," you added as an afterthought. 

"Well," 'Iwa' huffed, slapping the back of Oikawa's head with enough force to create a loud smack sound that you caused you to flinch, "don't trust this dumbass here with any directions. Follow me, I'll show you to class."

"That's not true, Iwa! I want to guide the underclassman to her class." Oikawa protested, only to have his demands completely ignored by other two. 

"Really?" you gasped, before bowing your head in gratitude. "Thank you so much, Iwa!"

"It's Iwaizumi Hajime," he grumbled. 

"Oh, I'm sorry; I just assumed because Oikawa called you that..." you trailed off, but then cancelled the thought as Iwaizumi turned to glare at Oikawa. "A-Anyways! I'm Ikeda (Y/n). It's nice to meet you both, Iwaizumi and Oikawa. If it isn't too much trouble for you, my classroom is 1-1."

"You should've passed it on your way here. Were you really looking?" Iwaizumi reprimanded as you began to walk side by side down the hall. 

"Not really... I kinda just ran around and asked people if I was close or not."

He hummed before thoughtfully adding, "Be more aware next time. You probably would've made it on time if you spent less time frivolously racing around."

Silence resumed after his comment, and you wondered how someone like Oikawa managed to befriend Iwaizumi.

Oikawa was easygoing, while Iwaizumi was strict. Oikawa was nonchalant, while Iwaizumi somber. They contrasted each other greatly, yet they somehow got along. It was incredible, though you supposed this was probably an accurate reflection of your friendship with Kageyama. You were carefree, while Kageyama was grim. You rarely were seen not smiling at something, while Kageyama had an everlasting frown on his face.

It was nothing short of a miracle that you had managed to bond over something common, volleyball, which brought you back to the current matter at hand. 

"Your shoes," you started. Iwaizumi raised an eyebrow but stayed silent, prompting you to continue. "Both you and Oikawa wear the same brand, do you happen to play volleyball?"

"Yes. Oikawa's the setter, and I'm a wing spiker. He might look like a big idiot, but Oikawa plays better than most."

"Wow, that's incredible! You guys must be really proud then, congrats!! All you volleyball players work really hard, and I respect that a lot."

"What about you? Are you interested in volleyball?" Iwaizumi reflected a couple questions back at you, and you supposed it is only fair for him to get curious too. You, fully prepared to answer Iwaizumi's questions, grinned so hard you felt your face threatening to split in two. 

"Volleyball's my life, and I've been playing for awhile now. A friend of mine wants to join the volleyball club here. I want to be there and support him no matter what, but I don't want to put all the valuable skills he taught me to waste," you paused to take a breath and reflect your finals words. "Therefore, I want to join the girl's volleyball team and assist him as much as I can."

"That's ambitious, but you can do it." Iwaizumi held up an awkward thumbs up for encouragement, and your heart warmed at his attempt. "Train hard."

"Thanks. I will do my best, Iwaizumi."

You continued the rest of the walk in silence until you slowed to a stop in front of a door you were positive you passed before. The plaque hanging above the door confirmed your suspicions: 1-1. This was your class. Turning around to face your upperclassman, you thanked him once more. He managed a small wave before heading off back in the direction of his class. After opening the door, the teacher reprimanded you for being late, before you introduced yourself to the class and took a seat. All the front row seats were taken, so you were forced to sit behind a particularly tall kid in the back of the class. You sighed at your misfortune, but nevertheless, took out your notebook and begun taking notes. 

Late on the first day. 

Today, during the first morning of your attendance at Kitagawa Daiichi, you met a strange upperclassman duo. One was an energetic setter, while the other was a stoic wing spiker. Between doodling small objects in the margins of your notes and occasionally training your gaze towards the window, you pondered what other surprises your first year would have in store for you. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i've read the manga, but watching the anime was another experience  
> i finished season one of haikyuu and i cried, it was so emotional
> 
> i find it crucial to tell you here that from now on there will be big timeskips  
> or at least i'll put timeskips up until the time in the story catches up to episode 1 of the anime


	3. Chapter 3

Class passed by like a breeze. Soon the bell for lunch rang, and you grabbed your wrapped bento before dashing out of class to meet up with Kageyama in his own class. Thankfully for you, you remembered the directions to his classroom. Although, you hoped you would be able to find your way back to your own class before the lunch period ends. Being late twice in a row would be completely embarrassing. As you navigated the halls and crowds of students, a familiar voice called out to you. 

"(Y/n)! Do you want to eat lunch with Iwa and I?" Oikawa's voice practically resounded through the halls, causing you to receive some unsavory glares from a few of the female students around you. "We can just talk and catch up— _ack_! Iwa, what was that for?!"

"Stop yelling in the halls, dumbass! Everyone can hear you!" Iwaizumi's loud booming voice followed after as he smacked Oikawa in the back of the head again. 

"But, Iwa! You're yelling too. Wah, please don't hit me!!"

You heard the sound of quickened footsteps as Oikawa sped by you while being chased by Iwaizumi. The entire spectacle was downright amusing, but you refrained yourself from laughing at the duo. They sure made any day at Kitagawa Daiichi lively. After the commotion died down once more and people resumed their normal walks to their destinations, you resumed your own search for Kageyama's classroom. 

Fortunately, it didn't even take you half as long to find Kageyama as it had been to find your own classroom in the morning. The boy remained seated in his seat, conveniently right by the window, and proceeded to stare outside. He had a troubled expression on his face, and you knew this could only mean one thing. He forgot his lunch. While this wasn't out of the norm for the two of you as you typically tended to share your lunch with him regardless, you still found it hilarious whenever he would sneak glances at your food when he thought you weren't looking. 

"I'm guessing someone forgot their lunch again, huh?" you asked, pulling a spare chair to his desk and plopping yourself down. Kageyama's gaze flickered to your lunch and then back at the desk in the blink of an eye, and you were sure you would've missed the longing gaze on his face if he had only looked for half a second less. 

He wordlessly nodded, not without pouting some more, but refused to say anything in his defense.

On any normal day, he'd protest and yell something like how he forgot his lunch because he was too busy packing his bag, or that he forgot his lunch because he had woken up late. Even on the rare cases, he'd say he forgot his lunch because he was doing something dumb like counting the number of laces his shoes had to make sure he threaded them properly. But today? Kageyama stayed uncharacteristically silent. 

Setting your bento on the table between the two of you, you reached over and pulled the boy into a hug. 

"You okay?"

"School's difficult," he admitted, his voice slightly muffled because of his face pressed into your shoulder. "I don't understand anything."

"It's 'cuz you're always going on and on about volleyball," you chastised with a titter. "But it's okay, Tobio; don't worry about it too much, alright? I told you once before. You just worry about volleyball, and I'll do the worrying about school. With me around, you're guaranteed passing grades."

"Thanks..." Kageyama trailed off, "(Y/n)."

"Y'know this may be the first time you've ever called me by my given name." At your words, you practically felt Kageyama wither without seeing his expression in person, and you let out an airy laugh while patting him on the back as if to say _there, there_. "Anyways, Tobio. You're hungry, right? I noticed you eyeing my lunch like you normally do. Feel free to eat as much as you want, I'm not that hungry."

With a final nod, he slowly began eating before wolfing everything down as if his life depended on it. You figured he also skipped breakfast today in order to review volleyball concepts so he wouldn't fall behind when he joined the team. The way his cheeks puffed with food oddly reminded you of a squirrel, and you tried and failed to hold in the laughter you were keeping in. With a gasp of breath, peals of laughter tumbled out of your lips as you guffawed at the adorable way Kageyama tilted his head in confusion. 

Silently, you hoped these easygoing days would never end. 

 

* * *

 

It turns out you were just fussing over nothing. Both Kageyama and you got into your respective volleyball teams without too much hassle. This meant that your after school hours were spent juggling between practice and homework.

Soon, you found your time spent to Kageyama practically dwindle to nothing. While the two of you always walked to and from school together, the time you got to see him during school hours were limited to maybe a few minutes a week. Oikawa and Iwaizumi occasionally stopped by your classroom to check up on you, but you were either gone because you were practicing serves in the courtyard or you were retaking some notes for Kageyama to easily study later.

The first few days of practice and school were uneventful; however, soon days turned to weeks, and weeks turned to months.

Without much thought to it, summer vacation had rolled around and had come knocking on your door. The days seemed longer and the nights seemed much shorter. Time after time, you felt yourself listlessly drag forward as the current of life swept you away. The girls didn't have summer volleyball practice like the boys did, so your summer was going to be spent doing homework or lazing around at home.

With all these things on your mind, it didn't seem too alarming that you had completely forgot about the festival. Which was why, when Kageyama had come knocking on your door dressed rather fashionably in a navy blue yukata, your mind had completely blanked and you stood dumbstruck in front of him wearing nothing but your Sailor Moon pajamas.

Kageyama, ever the mood killer, began yelling at you to hurry up and get ready or else he'll leave and watch the fireworks by himself. You knew that wasn't true, however, because you noticed that Kageyama wouldn't stop looking cartoonishly nervous at the thought of going alone. Crowds weren't usually his thing because of his tendency of getting lost.

One time, you and him had gone shopping with your parents, and Kageyama had gotten lost in the produce section of the grocery store. This was arguably one of the only reasons he practically stuck to you like glue during big festivals. You often teased him about this, and his only argument was that he wasn't tall enough yet (he promised to be the one looking after you once he was taller than you, but you highly doubt it since the poor boy can't even take care of himself). 

You just were surprised at the fact you had forgotten about the festival you had been looking forward to since the beginning of the year. A lot of things were on your plate, and you guessed you just had a lot of things to think about. A part of you knew it wouldn't do you anything good to bring up the subject, but Kageyama deserved to know. You refused to leave without a proper explanation to go with it. 

Halfheartedly, you put on your kimono and hakama before slipping on your wooden sandals. Admittedly, it had taken you a bit longer to tie the sash around your waist; mentally, you reminded yourself not to eat so many sweets while watching television shows again.

You called over to your parents that you were leaving before stepping outside. The warm summer air greeted you immediately, coupled with a light breeze that ruffled your hair. The streets were filled with other people making their way to the festival, the people ranged from primary school kids to elderly couples merely out for the view. Kageyama seemed impatient as he grabbed your sleeve and began tugging you along. Wordlessly, you followed along with your lips pressed in a tight line.

You would tell him eventually, you had to. 

The festival was absolutely crowded with people. Street vendors were set up as well as a few games set here and there for the kids to play with. Large, colorful streamers hung down from above, and the bamboo plants were decorated in small slips of paper known as tanzaku. With an excited gasp, you jerked your hand in the direction of tanzaku writing stall and Kageyama followed along silently. After obtaining two tanzaku slips for you and Kageyama, you handed him one as you quickly jotted down your wish and hung it on the tree. It took Kageyama awhile to think up of something, but you waited patiently for him to finish.

"What'd you wish for?" he questioned once he was done, an inquisitive expression on his face. 

"It's a secret! If I told you, it wouldn't come true," you replied honestly.

"Those are just silly rumors. These things never come true anyways," he grumbled. 

"Well, if you have a little faith, then maybe they will."

Faith was all you really had left. 

"If you say so."

The conversation ended after that, and the two of you took the rest of the time to explore the festival before the fireworks started. You tried some takoyaki and a candy apple, before attempting to fish some goldfish with a paper net with Kageyama. The rest of your evening was spent without another worry in the world, and you slowly felt yourself pushing your troubles away to the back of your mind. You would address them later, but, for now, you were just going to enjoy the moment with what little time you had left. 

Sometime a few minutes before the fireworks, you and Kageyama were just strolling along when you heard Oikawa's voice nearby. Kageyama seemed to tense and he immediately took your hand in his before dragging you away from your upperclassman. You noticed the scowl on Kageyama's face, and you briefly wondered if something had happened between the two of them. From what you knew, Oikawa and Kageyama didn't really get along because of their desire to play the same position; however, despite all the animosity, Kageyama respected Oikawa as the more experienced setter.

Once you were far enough away, Kageyama dropped your hand with a completely red face and a mumbled apology. You two were on a hill not too far from the general festival, but as soon as you were away from the crowd, you finally found yourself able to breathe. The night air was crisp with a hint of humidity. A few fireflies illuminated the area around you with their soft lights, and you found yourself completely still as you took in the tranquility of the atmosphere. 

If there was a button you could press to simply reset things back to the way they were, you would press it. However, you couldn't help but feel selfish for all the time you had taken for granted. For the longest time, you thought you would continue living the same daily life with the same people. You supposed that hope was nothing more than a distant dream now.

Turning around, you faced Kageyama properly for the first time this evening. 

"Tobio—"

"(Y/n)—"

The two of you spoke at the same time, causing your names to blend together into a jumble of broken syllables. 

"Y-You first," Kageyama nervously stuttered out, his hands awkwardly clenched the fabric of his yukata in bunches. 

"No, you can speak first."

He jolted. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah," you breathed out, a bit unnerved by Kageyama's jumpy attitude, "I'm sure."

He could wait just a little bit more. Just a little bit more. 

Kageyama turned even redder than he had been before, and you wondered if he had a fever. You tried to feel his forehead, but he weakly swatted your hand away. He was visibly trembling, and you felt more concerned the longer you stared at him waiting for him to speak. Time seemed slow. You gently reached out and grasped him on both shoulders, stilling his movements. 

"Tobio, you don't need to force yourself to tell me if you don't want to."

His head snapped up faster than you could process it before he blurted out, "No! I-I want to tell you..." He took a few anxious, bated breaths. Finally, he mustered the courage to look you in the eyes before declaring, "(Y/n), we've been friends for a long time, but I—"

At that moment, the fireworks went off. In shock, Kageyama paused mid-sentence and looked up at the colors blooming in the sky. Instead of focusing on the breathtaking sight above, you studied his facial features. He seemed frustrated, if not slightly disappointed. You knew he probably wouldn't answer your questions if you were to ask, so you trained your gaze to the reds, greens, and blues in the sky. 

The fireworks lasted for a shorter time than you had anticipated, and you were left with a sense of melancholy. Turning back to Kageyama, you observed that he had gone quiet once again and chose to stare at the grass by his feet. 

"What were you saying earlier, Tobio?" 

"It's nothing. Don't worry about it," he gritted out. You noticed how his hands clenched into fists by his sides.

"You look upset; are you really sure it was nothing?"

Kageyama seemed to deflate. His shoulders immediately loosened up, and he drooped forward with weariness. 

"Yeah. It's nothing. What were you going to say?"

For someone who had all the time in the world to prepare for this question, you felt so under prepared. Your hands felt clammy, and your voice felt like it got caught in the back of your throat. The more you convinced yourself that things will be alright, the more you psyched yourself out. You needed to just say it; you've stalled long enough. Steeling your nerves, you took a deep breath.

"Tobio, I'm going to be moving after my first year."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you're interested in more haikyuu stories, i'm working on a short one for suga [ here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/17403158/)  
> sorry for this kinda static chapter, i had to build up the plot somehow  
> literally none of my chapters are edited before posting so i'm sorry for all the mistakes


	4. Chapter 4

You weren't sure what exactly to expect after the festival, but this definitely wasn't it. Shortly after you returned for your final two weeks of school before summer vacation, Kageyama seemed to be purposefully avoiding you whenever he got the chance, and he always seemed uncomfortable around you whenever you managed to catch him unaware. Admittedly, it hurt, but even you knew he needed time to think about things. You suddenly had dropped such an important piece of information out of nowhere, it would take a lot of time before things went back to normal. 

Lunch came around, and you chose to remain in your classroom this time. The other students went out with their friends to grab a bite to eat at the cafeteria, but some others stayed behind to enjoy their lunch in the quiet solitude of the classroom. You stared at your bento, as if you looked long enough, you would be able to summon Kageyama out of nowhere. A few minutes passed until you wordlessly stood up and picked up your lunch. You wondered if the girl's volleyball team gathered together to eat during lunch. 

Leaving the classroom seemed like a risky move, but the silence was killing you. Unlike Kageyama, who thrived in quiet environments, you needed some noise in the background or else you'd grow restless. Your skin seemed to crawl at the absence sound. You settled down once you exited the classroom and stepped into the bustling hallways filled with hushed whispers and light footsteps. 

Kitagawa Daiichi was indeed a large school in comparison to the smaller elementary school you attended, and it was complicated to navigate when you have spent so long going autopilot without even thinking to your classes. You were positive the gym was just ahead after this final left turn. Letting out a sharp gasp as you narrowly avoided colliding with another student, you glanced up to murmur a quick apology when you were cut off by a familiar voice of one of the many people you were hoping not to meet in the halls. 

"(Y/n)! What a surprise. How are you?" Oikawa's voice cheerfully carried itself loud and clear through the halls. 

"We have to stop meeting like this, Oikawa," you grumbled. "And I'm fine, thanks. What about you? How's volleyball?"

"Volleyball's great! I was actually going to the gym to practice my serves—" Oikawa glanced at the bento that you had completely forgotten about in your hands, "—you can watch, if you want."

Your mind wandered to the girl's team that you were attempting to find, and you realized that you may spend the entire lunch period wandering around and never meeting them. You were also quite hungry, so you would like to sit down and eat your food before you had to return to class. Reluctantly, you knew you had no other option but to accept or else you'll be returning back to class. There was a wide smile on Oikawa's face at your obvious hesitation.

"Don't try anything funny," you frowned. "Iwaizumi gave me plenty of warnings about you."

"Eh? He did?"

"Yeah, he says things like 'Oikawa is a dumbass, and he has a terrible personality.'"

"That's harsh," Oikawa despairingly complained. For a second, Oikawa's mask dropped and there was a storm in his eyes. His warm brown eyes were cold, and his posture was rigid. You vaguely heard him mutter under his breath, "When did he say that?"

"Doesn't matter," was your nonchalant response. "I'll be the final judge of everything. Besides, I know Iwa only says that because he cares. You're not that bad, Oikawa."

The cloudiness in his gaze vanished in an instant, and you were convinced that Oikawa was hiding more than he let on. Then again, you haven't known him enough besides the few times you managed to bump into him in the halls by chance. Everything you know was constructed from your experiences and hearsay, which mostly stemmed from Iwaizumi's annoyed rants. 

"Iwa's a bad influence on you, (Y/n)," he complained instead. "You're not as cute when you're being mean. Remember when you used to go, 'Tooru, Tooru, please teach me how to serve!'"

"I never said that. Ever."

"Aw darn. And here I was thinking I could actually get you to say it."

"What? You want me to say it? Fine." You took a deep breath before staring him dead in the eye. Not even bothering to change your tone of voice, you pulled the most disinterested face as you uttered, "'Tooru, Tooru, please teach me how to serve.'"

"T-That's not cute as all!" Oikawa shivered uncomfortably. "In fact, I got chills from hearing that; please don't say that again."

"Yeah, calling you Tooru doesn't sit right with me either. Anyways, let's hurry to the gym."

"Do you want to watch me that badly? I always knew you were a fan of mine, (Y/n)!"

"No, it's because I'm hungry. Now, hurry up or I'll leave you."

You started walking off when Oikawa laughingly pointed out the fact you were walking the wrong direction. Again. Your face blanched in mortification, and you followed him the rest of way to the gym. Oikawa didn't speak a word to you the entire walk, choosing to stare at the direction he was going in deep thought. You attempted to contemplate just what he might be thinking about, but you were coming up with nothing but baseless assumptions. The doors of the gym soon came into view, and you noticed that the building was similarly structured to the girl's, but there was one fact that stood out above the rest. 

The boy's gym was massive. 

The gym the boys practiced in was at least three times as large as the girl's gym, and you found your jaw dropping in awe at the sheer size of the court. A few other members of the boy's volleyball club were in the gym for some practice, and Oikawa enthusiastically called them over. You didn't recognize any other faces, so you awkwardly shifted your weight in place. Iwaizumi stormed up to the two of you with his fists clenched by his sides, an angry expression overtook his features and you quivered under a glare that was obviously not meant for you. 

"Dumbass! Don't go around bothering Ikeda all the time!" 

"Eh? Why not, Iwa? Don't tell me... you're jealous?!"

"You're a dead man, Oikawa." Iwaizumi threatened lowly. 

Before Iwaizumi could move to hit his so-called best friend, you grabbed onto his sleeve. There was a pleading expression on your face that calmed Iwaizumi down just enough that you could talk to him without repercussions. As much as you wanted Iwaizumi to clobber Oikawa for all the annoyances he caused you, you didn't want to cause a commotion in the middle of practice. However, from the looks of it, the others in the gym seemed pretty much used to the duo's antics, so they were more focused on you instead. 

"Let's not resolve to violence right now, Iwaizumi," you pulled your most convincing face before you snickered deviously, "You're going to make Oikawa stupider than he already is by giving him a handprint-shaped dent on his head."

The rest of the members in the gym let out laughs and the tension in the air seemed to ease. Oikawa pouted off to the side, his pride clearly demolished in such a short time span, while Iwaizumi apologized for the trouble. You dismissed his apology with a wave and turned your inquisitive gaze to the other members of the volleyball club. One of the boys caught your eye, and you remembered he was one of the quiet ones from your class. He had introduced himself to the rest of your class back in the beginning, but you had long forgotten his name. He was around your height, maybe just a couple centimeters taller, with dark straight hair that was parted down the middle. His dark grey eyes held nothing but boredom in their depths. 

"Ah!" you exclaimed, jogging up to him, "You're from my class, 1-1, right?"

"... Hi," he responded, turning his head to the side so that he wasn't looking at you. Something akin to irritation prickled at your skin because of the cold greeting, but you didn't let it show. Instead, you stretched the current smile on your face even wider. 

"I'm Ikeda (Y/n). Nice to meet you! I'm assuming you're playing volleyball with everyone else?"

"Kunimi Akira," he supplied. "And I guess so."

"That's cool. I'm glad you like volleyball, 'cuz I do too."

"Playing volleyball and liking it are two different things, though." he pointed out. 

"Alright, but think of it this way. You wouldn't be here to practice during lunch if you didn't have an inkling of an interest in volleyball, right?"

"I suppose that's true."

"I gotta admit, though," you beamed, glancing up at him. "I think the moment your hand comes in contact with the ball because of the just right toss from your setter, it's magical."

"You speak from experience, I'm guessing."

"Mhm. Tobio has been my setter for as long as I can remember. The two of us come from the same primary school, and he's been fascinated with the sport since his second year. He taught me the basics of volleyball, and I'm really proud that he gets to play on an actual team now. Sorry, Kunimi; I must be bothering you with my rambling, huh? It's just," you paused, face scrunching up as you thought of the proper words to say, "it's just so relieving to hang around people who understand."

For a second, you saw an expression other than apathy flicker across Kunimi's face. From the first glance, you would have mistaken his expression for simple confusion. After observing him a little bit more, you could finally pinpoint the proper expression he was displaying. If you didn't know any better, Kunimi looked almost peeved, yet not quite.

"Kageyama, Kageyama Tobio?" he asked for clarification, and his expression of uncertainty only deepened when you shook your head to agree. "Heh," a short, sarcastic laugh spilled from his lips. "It's a miracle meeting someone who can hit his freakishly quick sets. You have my respects, Ikeda."

There was an entire change in Kunimi's demeanor in what appeared to be a blink of an eye. Despite the amused expression on his face, the patronizing tone he used stood out as most prominent. You shared an uneasy smile in return as you fought the sinking feeling in your gut. Something was wrong. While you couldn't exactly say outright what was wrong, there was just something in the words he said and the sudden shift in atmosphere that got you immediately on your guard.

Kunimi wasn't a bad guy. He was smart, albeit a little lazy when it came to his studies (you happened to catch him asleep in the middle of English once), but he almost always scored the highest out of anyone in your class. You felt almost afraid to ask him to clarify what exactly he meant by what he said. Right as you opened your mouth to inquire further, Oikawa somehow managed to catch you off guard by slinging an arm over your shoulders. 

"Yo, you're one of the first years, right?" he asked, his question clearly directed to Kunimi, who seemed to shrink in Oikawa's overwhelming presence. "You don't happen to be bothering my cute little (Y/n), are you?"

"I'm Kunimi Akira, Class 1-1. And no, she came up to me to talk."

"Hmm. Well," Oikawa turned to you. "You promised you were going to watch me serve! And don't you have lunch to eat?"

In response to his prompt, your stomach rumbled in agreement. You could only stare, dumbfounded, at this embarrassing situation. You were so engrossed in thought you had completely forgotten about eating, and, in turn, your body was just not having it. Oikawa burst out cackling as red slowly crept up your neck and stained your cheeks. Huffing loudly, you stomped on Oikawa's foot to get him to stop wheezing at your misfortune, but this only caused the boy to double over with even louder laughter. 

"Oi! Dumbass! Get back to practicing!" Iwaizumi, ever your saving grace, yelled before he nailed a volleyball directly into the back of Oikawa's head. 

"Iwa, you barbarian! That hurts." 

"Don't make me come over there!" 

"Wah!! I'm sorry! I have to go now, (Y/n), or else Iwa will be very, very mad. Make sure you eat a lot, and I'll pick you up after school. Bye now!"

Oikawa took off before you could even ask him what he meant by picking you up after school. The both of you had volleyball club, and there wasn't even a guarantee that you would finish practice at the same time. Kunimi stood off to the side silently, and you almost forgotten he had been there the entire exchange. He seemed to stare at everyone else playing volleyball before sighing and picking up a ball himself. Watching his movements, you couldn't help but think he didn't like volleyball much to begin with. 

Turning around, you sat yourself down on the bleachers and opened your lunch. Despite the amount of food you packed today, you can't help but feel a little hollow that Kageyama wasn't around to share your food with. You absentmindedly chewed on a flower-shaped carrot as you watched Oikawa and Iwaizumi practice serving and receiving. You let your mind wander, something you tended to do a lot more often nowadays.

You think, and you recall. You remember your primary school graduation day, you look back on the day you met your upperclassmen, and you reminisce about the Sendai Tanabata Festival where the fireflies danced in the night and the fireworks brightened up the night sky. You count all the smiles, laughs, and jokes that were shared between you and Kageyama. You muse over the number of times Iwaizumi had to slap Oikawa in the back of the head just to capture his attention for a few seconds. You recollect the goods, the bads, and all the inbetweens.

You ponder over Kunimi's words. You remember the way Kageyama's expression seemed to darken when he happened to notice Oikawa at the festival. Then, you think about now. Kageyama seemed purposefully distant, Iwaizumi was too easily irritated, and Oikawa was somehow the same, but not. The air was heavy and muggy, like the calm before a storm.

A heavy tempest was brewing, you just hoped you wouldn't be caught long enough to witness it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the late update, school's stressful;;
> 
> this is a filler chapter, mostly?  
> it's just to pass the time and give ikeda some time w some of the future seijou team and further flesh out some of the character interactions 
> 
> sksks my writing style's seemingly inconsistent & changes w every story i cry  
> once again, i realize how hard it is to capture complex character personalities  
> here's the kitagawa daiichi boys' [heights](https://i.imgur.com/9pavLHG.png) if you wanted some reference as to how tall exactly ikeda is


	5. Chapter 5

Extracurricular activities were cancelled, clubs were cancelled—that's right, it was now officially midterm season and you were completely screwed. And what was Kageyama doing in the midst of all this crisis? Sneaking off to go home early and practice volleyball since Oikawa, Iwaizumi, and the others were busy studying for their respective exams. That left you with nobody to study with, since you were hoping to review the lessons with Kageyama, who, as you found out a few days later, wasn't actually mad at you at all. He, in his words, was busy with school and your abrupt news of your sudden intention of moving jarred him so badly that he needed a few days to think.

That left you with only one person to rely on: Kunimi Akira. But the one problem was that you and Kunimi don't get along that well, which is something you found out all too late. You're loud, outgoing, and generally, on your good days, radiate positive energy, while he is kind of recluse (though you retract your previous statement because he is a total and complete 110% introvert), moody, and always seems to be exhausted simply breathing. That, and the fact that the kid is almost always sleeping whenever you would sneak glances at him in class.

Despite everything, Kunimi was one of the smartest kids in your grade, which you weren't surprised because he was secretly a genius even though he denies it every time you bring it up. And that's the only reason you found yourself chasing him as soon as he was in your field of vision after school.

"Kunimi, wait up!" you called, and you swore it was your imagination but he appeared to walk even faster. Scratch that thought, he was walking faster. "Hey, dummy," you yelled even louder, attracting the attention of the surrounding students who were minding their own business before the whole ordeal, "I said wait up!"

He didn't even bother to slow down. Cursing, you picked up the pace until you finally matched his steps. Annoyed, he turned away with you with a huff, and you promptly slap him on the shoulder. "I thought I said to wait for me. I know you can hear me."

Kunimi only rolled his eyes glancing away from you while nursing his now aching shoulder, "I heard you the first time, I didn't want to. Besides, you're being too noisy."

You fake an offended gasp, "You take that back right now, young man."

"No," he retorts, catching on to your playfulness with a ghost of a smile on his lips, "never."

Maybe you were overreacting, but never have you seen Kunimi smile; it was practically a once in a lifetime phenomenon. Thus, you reacted as if it was such.

"You smiled," you uttered in disbelief, eyes wide, "the Kunimi Akira just freaking smiled."

"I did no such thing."

"You totally did."

"No, I didn't," he said more forcefully this time, pausing in between each word as if he was hoping it would sink into your mind and you would finally drop the subject. But who was he kidding? It was you, and therefore you were going to press on the subject.

"Yes, you did. I saw it. It was unbelievably cute and—oh lord are you blushing? You're blushing!"

He quickens his stride, practically leaving you in the dust as he uses a free hand to cover the lower half of his tomato red face. "Forget it, I'm leaving."

"Wait Kunimiiii," you whine, "I was joking okay?! It's just a joke!"

You thanked whatever lucky stars that were out there because Kunimi slowed down enough that you could catch up by fast walking, though you were guessing this was the last chance he was giving you before he left you behind for real. Not that him walking faster really bothered you, but you would rather walk at a normal pace than running after your kind-of-but-not-really friend. While the majority of his blush died down, there was still the faintest dusting of pink on his cheeks; you weren't lying when you said he was cute, he really was but in a silent yet secretly soft way.

The two of you walked down the streets in silence, when you finally realized that you haven't really explained why you wanted to walk with him in the first place, and you had no idea where you were going. If anything, now would probably be a good time to speak up rather than following him home like some weirdo.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"You just did," he shot back.

"Haha, very funny," you quip sarcastically, rolling your eyes, "man, that was some top quality humor right there. I can practically feel the laughter bubbling in my chest."

"You have a certain way of killing the mood," Kunimi grumbles, trying hard to stifle a laugh and still failing.

"Thanks, it's an acquired skill," you grin. "Now, back to the question at hand. Can we study together for the midterms? I figured since we're in the same class we can help each other out."

"Hmm, let me think about it—" and then there's this moment of silence that, for a moment, you actually believed he was pondering over whether or not to help you, "—alright, I thought about it. No."

You're really not surprised at his answer, but still, you were going to get him to help you even if it kills you. Which it won't, probably. Knowing Kunimi, the only thing that will probably die at the end of this conversation is your pride, but you're willing to bet and see how everything plays out.

"But Kunimi, you're the smartest and most talented guy in our grade." You watched his expression carefully and barely notice the tips of his ears grow red. Bingo.

"Flattering me won't work—" that's a lie, and he knew you knew it, "—my answer is still no."

"Huh. Well, if flattery doesn't work, then I know this really, really good ice cream shop. They have the best salted caramel ice cream, are you sure you're not interested?"

It was at this moment that you knew you've won. Kunimi shoots you the most betrayed look at the fact you blatantly took advantage of his favorite food; in response, you just stuck out your tongue childishly.

"... Fine, but only if you're paying."

"Of course, do I look like a cheapskate to you?" he opens his mouth to speak, but you instantly cut him off, "That was not an invitation for you to answer."

He looked like he wanted to say something else, but instead he sighed, "What are you waiting for? Lead the way."

With a smile, you slipped your hand around his wrist and began tugging him along in the direction of the shop, which you then realized was in the completely opposite direction of where you were walking this entire time. Well, as the saying goes, the greater the journey the better the reward, or that's how you remembered it at least.

Upon your arrival at the quaint little shop, the first thing Kunimi does is scowl and open his big mouth to complain.

"This is the ugliest place I have ever seen."

While you can't necessarily deny that statement, you could tell there was still love and care in the extravagant decor, so you couldn't let him keep talking badly about the rather colorful display. Admittedly, you cringed at the bright bubblegum pink paint and the absolutely dreadful blue raspberry candy colored accents.

You slap him on the shoulder again, which earns you the glare this time. "Don't be mean. I said the ice cream was nice, not the aesthetics."

"If the place's ice cream tastes as bizarre as the display, I am never trusting anything you say ever again." He seems doubtful even as he pushes open the brightly colored door, sounding off the small bell hanging overhead.

"Hey!" you protest, following Kunimi inside, "I exaggerate a lot of things, but I'll never lie to you about ice cream. That's, like, treason."

"I sure hope so."

The owner of the shop, a kind lady in her early fifties, recognized you instantly the moment you closed the door behind you.

"Ikeda, you're back," she joyously greets with a smile so sweet it could give you diabetes, "and you've brought a friend along. Come on in, and take a seat wherever you'd like."

Kunimi isn't anymore impressed with the interior decoration than the outside, but at least the inside was tamer on the bright colors. The black and white checkered floors reminded you of a chess board, and there were silly cartoon paintings of ice cream kids covering the walls. It wasn't the most professional looking place, but it was an ice cream shop meant for children after school so you weren't sure what Kunimi was expecting.

You lead the two of you to a small corner booth you would often frequent with Kageyama whenever the two of you needed a break from all the homework you had to finish. Just thinking about Kageyama sent a pang of loneliness in your heart, but you were sure that he was fine doing whatever he was doing currently.

Taking a seat, you set you bag on the empty space next to you, while Kunimi took a seat across. A couple menus were given to you by a bubbly waitress, and you thanked her while browsing through the selection. You could practically feel Kunimi's gaze boring into your skull through the menu, and you set it down before making eye contact.

"I thought this was an ice cream shop," he commented, his gaze never leaving yours as he flipped through the menu with an expression of disinterest.

"It is," you protested in your defense, "but it's also kind of like a cafe too. I thought it'd be easier to study while eating so we don't move around as much."

"That's smart."

"Duh, of course it is. Anyways, I figured out what I want. What about you; anything pique your picky taste?"

"Mhm, I think I know what I want."

"Alright, I'll flag down our waitress."

You raised your hand until the waitress from before returned with a notepad. You told her you wanted the flavor of the month, which happened to be peach so you didn't mind, and Kunimi points at something in the menu with a super fancy name and a whopping price tag printed next to it.

Forget your pride dying today, your wallet was crying at this very moment. The waitress notes his order with sense of finality as she turns away with the promise of returning as soon as possible. You thanked her once more, slumping into your seat the moment she turned around to go back to the counter. You wanted to wipe the smug expression off his face, but your rationality tried to salvage the fact that this was all so you could maintain your decent grades.

As if you were suddenly remembering just how important this outing was for you, you turned to your backpack quicker than the speed of light and whip out your textbooks and notes, slamming them on the table with a loud smack. Kunimi jumped at the noise, visibly startled, before frowning at you.

"What's this for?" he asked as if he forgot about the entire point of you buying him ridiculously overpriced dessert.

"We're going to study, right now. Before I end up eating your ice cream myself," you threatened.

"... Do we have to?"

"Yes."

"Hmph, fine."

Kunimi takes time to explain the things you don't understand in a way that's better than how the teacher teaches, and you contemplate just how much IQ he has when the ice cream finally arrives.

Your peach ice cream comes in a cute glass with a few slices of fresh peach as garnish, and when you turn to look at Kunimi's order, your jaw practically drops. It's an ice cream sundae, but this was the king of all ice cream sundaes. He got three scoops of salted caramel ice cream, complete with sliced bananas, a singular cherry on each scoop, and chocolate and caramel drizzle to top everything off.

"You, my friend," you stated, pointing your spoon at him, "are going to regret your decision."

Like a kid, Kunimi pouts. "No I won't."

"Sure, sure," you airily laugh, "whatever you say."

The two of you resume your studying session, even though it was mostly him helping you, and you had long polished off your ice cream while he had a long way to go before he finished his. It was around six in the evening when you had finally grasped enough knowledge to know that you won't fail the exam, and you stood up to stretch your tired arms.

The sun was setting, bathing the shop in a warm orange hue and lo and behold, Kunimi still wasn't done with his ice cream. Most of it was melted in some sad soupy mess, but the little remaining bites retained decent shape and form after all this time.

"Having some trouble finishing that?" you questioned as he poked at the last mouthfuls with a look of scorn. "In my opinion, the ice cream never did anything wrong."

"It's too sweet," was all he said. "I would have finished it."

A few beats passed and Kunimi made no effort to eat anymore; it was kind of hilarious seeing him like this. You took a seat next to him, and held your hand out. "Gimme the spoon, I'll eat the rest for you." He looked mortified at your suggestion, and you took the chance to probe at him further. "Oh, don't tell me that the almighty Kunimi is afraid of cooties."

"I'm not," he muttered, "but isn't it gross? And don't you girls freak out about... indirect kisses and stuff."

"It looks like you're more worried about that, but if it helps you sleep at night, Tobio and I share spoons and food all the time and neither of us are dying of disease, so I'm pretty much safe."

"... You do?"

"Yeah, saves utensils and it's less dishes I have to wash. Perfect logic."

"Fine."

He reluctantly hands you the spoon, and you catch the faintest traces of red on the tips of his ears, but you don't comment. Instead, you chuckle quietly while finishing the ice cream in a few spoonfuls. After paying the bill and packing your things, the two of you exit the shop and head out into the direction of the setting sun to the bus stop.

Even though the two of you didn't speak much about things besides school, you felt as if you had gotten closer to your classmate. When midterms are finished and summer finally begins, you think about treating Kunimi to some more ice cream as a thank you for all his help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i ended up deleting the cute one sentence summaries bc i ran out of ideas.. whoops! yeet i updated tags and all that jazz. btw a title change from 飛べ to reaching for the skies! since i'm indecisive & it's been ages since i last updated sorry sorry ):
> 
> also akira and ikeda's entire dynamic is literally  
> ikeda, does or says anything:  
> akira: god you're an idiot  
> akira, internally: god 💞💘💘 you're 💗💕 my 💕💗💖 idiot 💞💘
> 
> in short: they cute & i'm THRIVING.  
> OK but listen guys,,, kunimi doesn't like loud and energetic people but like ikeda is an exception and that's the tea! tl;dr kunimi is moronsexual 😌
> 
> quick question as well, do you guys enjoy this mini before arc or should i speed it up?? like i'm trying my best to get to the juicy plot but hnnng development!!! matters!! folks!!!!


	6. Chapter 6

Exams quickly rolled around, much to your chagrin, and soon you found yourself sitting behind a packet that you could only assume is your test. Internally, you gawked at the sheer sight of the papers since you've never felt more nervous in your life. This even beat the time Kageyama got lost in the park, and you were tasked to find him among the screaming children and rowdy dogs; navigating the park turned out to be a battle in itself. Somehow, you had a feeling Kageyama wasn't faring any better than you, considering he barely put any effort into studying this time.

You tapped the end of your pencil on the desk as the clock ticked away; you were literally on the last question of the test, but you couldn't figure out the answer for the life of you. From the corner of your eye, you glanced at Kunimi in chances he would be your last ditch effort to answer the problem, but he was asleep. Then you wondered if you should just give up and sleep the remainder of the test, leaving the last question unanswered because you couldn't figure out the answer for the life of you. And it was a math problem, of all things. Turns out you can't bullshit your way out of this one.

While you were busy debating what to do, time was running out and you realized that you only had three more minutes to finish up. So long the nap you were planning to take. Scribbling down some random formulas and other gibberish you vaguely remembered from the lesson, you also wrote an apology note on the side for your horrid handwriting coupled with a roughly drawn sad face.

Time ran out before you knew it, and the teacher walked by to collect everyone's papers. No words were exchanged between the two of you, but you swore the teacher's lips quirked upwards when she realized that you were in utter distress having completed your test right as time ran out. You waited until she turned her back on you before sticking out your tongue, and then you proceeded to drum your fingers on your desk until the bell rang.

Not even a moment after the bell rang, you stood up from your seat, grabbed your bag, and bolted out of class down the hall to meet up with Kageyama. It seems he was just as eager to leave class since he was already waiting outside for you when you arrived. The deadened look on your face told you all you needed to know, but like any friend, you asked the question anyways.

"How was it?" You had gone and done it—you asked the question that nobody wanted to hear after a test because it was just unnecessary and pointless to ask how the test was when everyone literally took the same test. It was the question that didn't refer to the test because it had the underlying meaning of _how do you think you did_ , and everyone knows the answer to that is _terrible_.

"How was what?" he asked back in a daze. Oh no, it must've been worse than you thought.

"The exam, Tobio. Stay with me here, buddy."

"Oh—" you think his mind is malfunctioning or something at this point because Kageyama seems just so out of it, "—that exam."

"Yup, that's the one. And...?"

The realization comes crashing down, and before you know it, he's in complete panic mode. "I think I failed. What should I do? I can't take supplementary lessons since that means I can't play volleyball."

"Idiot," you sighed, slapping him in the back of the head with more force than you had originally intended; however, you got your point across and he finally shut up. "It's because you're always thinking about volleyball that you're falling behind in school. I had to study with Kunimi, of all people, since you thought it was fun to play hooky when I wanted to study with you."

"... Sorry."

"Well, no point in getting all hung up about it now," your lips twisted up into a wry grin of sorts. "All that matters is that you tried, so it's all up to your effort."

Kageyama mumbled something about volleyball under his breath and having to try harder next time, and you merely snickered quietly to yourself as you patted him on the head to reassure him. He swatted away your hand with a scowl on his face, and you only laughed harder until a pair of footsteps sounded from behind you, causing you to turn around. Oikawa and Iwaizumi walked up to you, and Iwaizumi seemed annoyed as Oikawa wore his trademark smile; you wondered if he ever got tired of smiling all the time, you knew you would be.

"Hey, (Y/n), Tobio!" Oikawa greeted with a lighthearted wave. "Hope we didn't interrupt your lovers quarrel."

If it was even possible, Kageyama's already sour disposition soured even further upon seeing the upperclassmen. Almost as if picking up on Kageyama's bad mood, Iwaizumi smacked Oikawa in the back.

"Oi, Trashykawa, leave them alone," Iwaizumi grumbled, clearly wanting to be anywhere but there.

You felt your cheeks warm up at Oikawa's rather forward statement, but you willed the redness down to the best of your ability before replying. "What brings the two of you here?"

"Just checking up on my two favorite underclassmen!" Oikawa chirped brightly, "Speaking of which, how were to exams?"

Kageyama visibly blanched at the even briefest mention of the test, and you laughed nervously while trying your best to completely avoid the topic. 

"They were fine! For the most part, anyways," you answered breezily before waving your hand in the air. "Tobio and I are going to head home now and play some Mario Kart—" to which Kageyama shot you a look from the corner of your eye implying that he certainly wasn't going to be playing that cursed game, but you ignored him and pretended like you couldn't see his blatant refusal, "—care to join us?"

"If I win, you'll have to go on a date with me, (Y/n)." Oikawa grinned, smile threatening to split his face in half, as his eyes sparkled with mischief and a sort of confidence. You accepted his challenge with a smile of your own, before meeting him eye to eye with equal fire.

"Yeah, that's _if_ you can beat me."

You turned away dismissively before slowly walking down the hall, and hearing Oikawa sputtering behind you while Iwaizumi hits him on the back of the head for being a straightforward idiot causes you to laugh loudly as Kageyama followed quietly alongside. The walk back to your place with quiet for the most part.

Oikawa would attempt to spark some sort of conversation about topics that you could care less about, and your disinterest was as plain as day when you responded with one word answers. Occasionally, he would ask you about future date locations you would like to visit, as if he was positive he was going to beat you in Mario Kart, and Iwaizumi would reprimand him for you. Kageyama looked straight up uncomfortable, and you don't really blame him; Oikawa had that kind of effect on people.

The four of you arrived at your house in a few minutes, and you fished the keys out from your uniform pocket before unlocking the door and pushing it open. You stepped inside and removed your shoes, prompting the boys to follow suit. The house is empty since your parents are still at work, but it doesn't feel lonely. Pictures of you and your family hung in ornate frames on the walls, and a few pictures of you and Kageyama taken during your younger days decorated the shelves.

"Wow," Oikawa exclaimed, picking up a particular frame of you sticking your tongue out at the camera as Kageyama chased after bubbles in the background, "you were cute back then, (Y/n). Too bad you weren't as cute as me."

"Put the picture down, dummy," you chided, but you couldn't ignore the fact that your cheeks were positively glowing with pink at the subtle compliment.

You catch Iwaizumi, rather quiet during this entire exchange, staring at a particular picture that sat on top of a stack of books, and your cheeks darken when he turns to you with an inquisitive stare. "Did that really happen?"

Of course he had to be referencing the one picture you didn't really want to talk about. Both you and Kageyama were five, and your hair was pulled into pigtails while wearing an unflattering polka-dotted dress that you had really liked at the time. In the particular shot, you were carrying Kageyama under the arms and lifting him up for the camera; you didn't raise him particularly high, maybe a few centimeters above the ground, but the huge beam you wore on your face told you that you were still feeling pretty accomplished. Not one of your most proudest moments, but it was certainly one of the few memorable ones.

"Um, yeah, that did happen, but we don't really talk about it y'know." Well, that was awkward. You glanced over at Kageyama for some sort of comfort in this situation, but you caught the boy staring at the wall as if he was hoping that if he stared long enough he would simply disappear. "Well, that's enough of that!" you proclaimed loudly, leading everyone away from the hall of what you now dubbed as yours and Kageyama's hallway of regrettable decisions to the living room.

Oikawa immediately sprawls across the entire couch with his tall frame, forcing you, Iwaizumi, and Kageyama to share two beanbags. That's right, two beanbags and three people. This was going swimmingly, if you couldn't tell by now.

You made a move to sit on the same beanbag as Kageyama when Iwaizumi tugs on your sleeve, halting you in your tracks. Raising a brow at the sudden gesture, your question dies on your lips when you notice that Iwaizumi looks uncharacteristically nervous.

"You can, um," he clears his throat, dark eyes refusing to meet yours as he glanced at the space past your shoulder, "you can sit here, if you'd like."

You don't think you've ever seen him this tense before because Iwaizumi always gave off an intimidating aura whenever he was around Oikawa. Though, you have a feeling that anyone would be constantly annoyed if they had to deal with Oikawa on a daily basis every time he opened his mouth to say something completely unnecessary. Which, in fact, was what he did.

"Iwa, are you flirting?!" Oikawa exclaimed in shock, sitting up momentarily as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing or seeing. "That's no fair; (Y/n), you can sit on my lap if you want!"

"No thanks, Trashykawa," you cut off in mock disgust, before you took a seat beside Iwaizumi, the latter scooting over a tad to make some room for you.

It was comfortable sitting by Iwaizumi, perhaps it was because he always looked really reliable for you in comparison to your other not-so-serious upperclassman. You fished out a few Wii remotes from the small coffee table in front of you and tossed one each to the two boys on the other side of the room. Kageyama caught his flawlessly, while Oikawa sat upright as he fumbled with his. You gave the brunette a sharp stare as he almost dropped the controller. Forget the date, if he broke your remote, he'd have to buy you a new one because you refused to use your lunch money to cover the cost.

Oikawa laughed off your heated stare with a nervous chuckle, and he had the nerve to go on fixing his hair as if he didn't almost break your remote. Rolling your eyes at the sheer audacity he had at your expense, you busied yourself with setting everything up when Iwaizumi finally brought up the fact he had no idea how to play. At that moment, you don't know what was more disbelieving, the fact that Iwaizumi didn't know how to play Mario Kart or that Kageyama can actually tolerate being in the same room as Oikawa without causing a fuss.

So, while the game was loading, you explained the rules and the controls; thankfully, he didn't need the instructions to be repeated too many times. He was rather attentive to which buttons did what, though it wasn't really that difficult to figure out considering that the Wii remote didn't have too many buttons to begin with.

From there, it was practically smooth sailing. You went onto the choosing characters screen, and you went with your main, Yoshi, of course. Kageyama went with King Boo, fitting in ways you couldn't even find reasons for, while Iwaizumi went with Bowser, and— _oh no_ , Oikawa was Rosalina. As if he could practically predict your incredulous expression, Oikawa turned to you and shrugged his shoulders. You think someone like Waluigi suits his personality better, he was such a slimy bastard.

"Remember (Y/n), you owe me a date after this!" Oikawa teased as the countdown appeared on the screen.

"Bold words from a future loser," you replied, not even batting an eye.

"That's mean!"

You snorted in a poor attempt to stifle your laughter, but the humor is still present all the same. Then, the race starts.

There's a few things playing video games with your friends has taught you. One, Oikawa and Kageyama didn't even get along in game. The two of them constantly sabotaged each other with every given opportunity; there are times where you can see careful cracks in Oikawa's normally flippant attitude. Two, it was funny to see Kageyama occasionally burst out into a fit of shouts every time he got knocked off the track. You kind of felt bad, but he glares at you without malicious intent and you know that he had already forgiven you. Three, Iwaizumi was secretly a Mario Kart master. For someone who has never played the game before, he completely owned everyone the first few rounds.

In the last game, you had finally gotten ahead of everyone else and were comfortably carrying the title of first place when you suddenly weren't. The culprit? A freaking red shell.

A shocked gasp tore its way from your lips. "That's not fair!" you pouted as Iwaizumi's avatar overtook your position. He didn't say anything, preferring to keep his eyes on the screen, but you see the faintest traces of a smile playing on his lips, and you decided to be nice and let him have his victory (though, you knew that if you were really trying that day, you could've easily taken him on).

And that concluded the final game. In the end, the scores looked something like this: first was Iwaizumi, you got third, Oikawa got sixth, and Kageyama came in eighth. Sometime during the games, you had tucked your knees to your chest as your weird concentration method and you sort-of-but-not-really snuggled into Iwaizumi's side in the process. You were comfortable, but you didn't know how comfortable it was for Iwaizumi to have your elbow digging into his side the past hour.

After stretching out your legs and arms, you stood up and tried your best to ignore the prickly sensation of pins and needles crawling up your legs. "So, about that date..." you joked, addressing the obvious elephant in the room, "well, you obviously lost Oikawa, so I guess Iwaizumi gets it instead, huh?"

Iwaizumi coughed suddenly, and it might just be your eyes playing tricks on you again but you swear the tips of his ears turned red. Kageyama looked more sullen then normal, the frown on his face deepening. Even Oikawa's eyes were uncharacteristically wide at your bold statement, before he awkwardly laughed your suggestion off.

"Haha, you're such a funny person, (Y/n)!" is what he says, but you can tell from the discomfort in his coffee eyes that he hopes you won't ever bring that notion up ever again.

"Kidding, of course," you said, attempting to diffuse the situation, "anyways, I'm just about done with Mario Kart; you guys can hang around if you'd like, I'm ordering pizza later."

"Actually," Iwaizumi began, "I think Trashykawa and I need to—"

"We'll stay!" Oikawa cuts off.

Iwaizumi looks like he wants to argue, but he chooses to stay quiet instead, muttering something about how Oikawa was being unreasonable and the next time they were at practice he was going to spike a volleyball into the back of his head. You turn around to Kageyama, who sat slumped in the beanbag looking completely exhausted. You took a seat beside him, while the two third years bickered among themselves.

"You okay?"

He glances up at you before resting his head on your shoulder. "I'm fine, just tired."

"Wanna sleep over? I'm sure your parents won't mind, you live next door anyways."

He hums quietly, and you take in the almost silence with peace of mind. Sometime passes, and you feel your eyes began to droop in fatigue. You figure that the pizza could wait a bit while you take a nap, so you don't fight the next wave of drowsiness as it slowly washes over you like waves on the shoreline. The last thing you think about before drifting off is that, even if you move away to a completely different city, you hoped that the four of you would continue to be friends despite the distance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> UNEDITED; my eyes are crying for me to take a break but i said no bc haha regrettable decisions feat. writers!!!! this is almost 3000 words and i've been writing all day nonstop & could honestly use a good ol nap right about now
> 
> i have so many things i want to write but the story needs to pROGRESS FIRST  
> also wikihow the fuck to write pre-canon kitagawa daiichi cast i'm actually suffering help  
> i'm not even gonna lie this was supposed to be a KAGEYAMA chapter but he just ghosted halfway through for iwa & trashcan baby fdjsaof  
> i would like to point out everything at this point in time is strictly platonic bc everyone is a kid and feelings are foreign psa over 
> 
> all jokes aside though, when i get to a full oikawa chapter i'm going to have so much fun bc oikawa is a extremely complex character and i feel like there's many different ways he can be interpreted  
> i'm also trying to improve my writing where it isn't 90% dialogue but i feel myself LACKING in all honestly someone come thru with the op writing tips that would be nice 👌👌

**Author's Note:**

> comments & criticism appreciated!  
> read this [elsewhere](http://www.quotev.com/story/11615860/%E9%A3%9B%E3%81%B9)


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